Current production motor vehicles, such as the modern-day automobile, are originally equipped with driver-side and passenger-side vehicle door assemblies that are movably mounted to the vehicle body to provide access for entering and exiting the vehicle. Many conventional vehicle door assemblies are designed with an armrest that extends from the interior of the door assembly into the passenger compartment. The armrest is intended, in part, to provide a surface on which an occupant seated adjacent the door may rest the lower extremities of his or her arm. Typically, part of a decorative trim arrangement defining the inner surface of the door assembly, the armrest is often integrated with a door latch release lever and a pull-handle or pull-cup used to open and close the door assembly. The majority of conventional armrest assemblies are self-contained units that are positively attached to the door's inner panel or other structural components of the vehicle by, for example, screws, bolts, push pins, or heat stakes.
A vehicle door handle is also provided along an outer door panel and employed to pull the vehicle door assembly from a closed position to an open position so that the occupant can enter the vehicle, and vice-versa after the occupant alights from the vehicle. The exterior door handle typically functions in cooperation with, or operates as, a door latch release lever to selectively disengage the door latch such that the vehicle door assembly, in turn, can be moved to an open position. A conventional exterior door handle includes a handle portion that is pivotable relative to a bracket or chassis that is mounted to the outer door panel. Pivotal movement of the handle portion applies tension to a cable that moves a latch mechanism to release the latch and open the door. Locking mechanisms can also be provided to prevent the various vehicle door assemblies from unwantedly opening.